With his cleverly sampled acappellas that served him as his own hype-man of sorts, last Friday night at The Canal Club, Doorly threw down one of the single most enjoyable sets I have ever seen. It instilled hope in the crowd and me that true talent was still available behind the decks, and there was more to being a DJ than just pressing a few buttons and fading tracks into each other. He was a one-man band that evening, layering musical elements on top of each other like you would expect from any other group of performers or band. I know that when I left that early morning around 3AM, I felt I got what I came for: a performance for the Richmond party-goers textbook.
I was able to sit down with the man before his performance that evening--the same man who made you question why your pants were so wet when you got home the next day. If you haven’t taken note of Martin Doorly by now, you might want to start soon. He has some big things in store for all of us. Hope you enjoy a little trip into the mind of this one-of-a-kind DJ.
RVA: For those who might not be familiar with you and your work, tell us a little about yourself.
DFDJ!: My name is Martin Doorly. I’m from the UK. A small place near Leeds that you’ve probably never heard of. I’m a producer, I’m a DJ, I set up club nights and I do radio shows. I kind of, well I guess you could say music is my life.
RVA: What were you doing before you kind of broke into the whole music scene?
DFDJ!: Honestly, it’s kind of hard to remember. I was at a University and was a DJ there.
RVA: Did you study music there?
DFDJ!: I studied English, actually. I have an English degree. But I didn’t go to the University to study, I went there to get laid and have fun.
RVA: Nice outlook!
DFDJ!: Yeah, it worked out. I kind of became a DJ then, where music was more of just a hobby. I can’t imagine where I’d be if I wasn’t doing this.
RVA: When you go home and relax--think if you had nothing on your agenda (if that’s even possible for you)--what’s something you enjoy doing?
DFDJ!: It’s quite rare. I have a home but I’m never there. I usually live out of hotels and airplanes. When I do go home, my ultimate goal is to switch off my phone and laptop, and I try and do nothing. I sit on my sofa and just watch really shitty 80’s films and just try to get away. Just watch something that doesn’t involve much thought. Just sit there and pet my dogs and try to mellow out.
RVA: Earlier this year you were at Alley Katz here in Richmond. I wasn’t able to make it and I wanted to shoot myself in the foot for missing it. How was that for you?
DFDJ!: It was a good night. I really enjoyed it. Look at it this way: this place (The Canal Club) is huge, and I enjoyed myself last time, but tonight, so far, is just looking to destroy everything I did last time (laughs). I was here at 9:30 and the club was already packed.
RVA: Do you feel that you have to one-up your performance at Alley Katz or whenever you play a city in general?
DFDJ!: Oh always. Every good DJ should do that. I doubt I’ll even play any of the same tracks as last time. You've got to keep changing yourself, to keep people interested. I’ve got a lot more of my equipment with me this time.
RVA: I was going to ask about that! I saw somewhere that you were trying to tour with some more of your hardware.
DFDJ!: I usually play with 4 CDJ’s and they were able to get me those, but tonight I only need 3. I got another piece where I have a bunch of samples and accapellas all loaded up and ready. Shout outs/sirens/effects, so I can really change my set up.
RVA: I’d say you’re more known for a genuine LIVE set than a lot of other DJ’s on the scene right now. You’re up there doing a REAL set.
DFDJ!: I like to do everything live, make it a real performance. I play instrumentals of tracks, rather than the whole thing, and have the accappellas alongside them so I can change the track as I go. It means that I’m constantly remixing live rather than just playing a track a million times. I’d rather play it different every time.
RVA: Leading up to your performance tonight, I’ve had your Bang Bang live set from earlier this year on constant repeat (available for download HERE). When people asked me about Doorly or asked what I should listen to by you, I’d point them in that direction. You seemed to cross over so many genres in that mix. I remember there was a point where you were going into what seemed like a Dr. Dre song and then mixed in a Red Hot Chili Peppers tune.
DFDJ!: Oh wow! Amazing how small the world is. I was playing on my birthday in Europe and my buddy recorded it and put it out on Twitter and now there’s this guy on the other side of the world in Richmond saying it was like a huge hit. Hah.
RVA: Going back to the whole Richmond thing, you have to realize that Richmond has a lot of love for you.
DFDJ!: Oh wow, right on. Sounds good.
RVA: Richmond isn’t really known (yet) for being a staple in the electronic touring scene like some other cities; New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, etc.
DFDJ!: I know I had a good time here last time, so I wanted to come back. You guys have a good thing going on here and Steez Promo does a good job promoting the shows. I always guage how shows are on Twitter. When I announced the Richmond show, I had about 60-70 people messaging me asking if it was Richmond, Virginia or another Richmond somewhere else. When I said Virginia it seemed to be that that was the “right” response I guess you could say. I probably sold about 20 tickets just by saying that on there.
RVA: This city seems to be pulling in a lot of heavy hitters lately though. From personal experience, I know that if you want to see some of the bigger acts in the scene today you’ll usually have to travel to DC, NY, etc. But now, there seems to be more of a demand here in Richmond and as a result, they’re able to book some of the bigger names, like you for instance.
DFDJ!: Thank you very much. Good stuff here.
RVA: Is there any particular reason you don’t cross over this way so much?
DFDJ!: It’s quite hard to travel this way really. I live in Ibiza, where I have a residence there, and you have to connect a lot of flights to get here. In the summer I came out here 4 times, a gig here, a gig there, all way living in Ibiza. You have to focus on your bigger festivals and shows when there is that much travelling. Maybe 2 times a year I’ll do a full tour.
RVA: This was your first date on the tour right?
DFDJ!: Yeah, yeah, I actually played a festival last night in London and went straight to the airport afterwards.
RVA: I think I saw a post from you about that actually. You played with Drop The Lime at some point recently too, right? He seems to be a local favorite here as well.
DFDJ!: Yeah, I played a gig with him and B. Rich as well.
RVA: I was able to interview him a few weeks ago [See our new print issue, out in the next couple of weeks--ed.] and he seemed to hint that Richmond had one of the craziest parties in America.
DFDJ!: Well, coming from him that means a lot. That guy likes to party!
RVA: What do you have coming up in your future music-wise? Albums, singles, etc.
DFDJ!: I started my own record label called Pigeonhole This! Basically, well, especially Americans seem to be really digging this dubstep thing right now. Dubstep is like 5% of my game. I like techno, I like drum and bass. I kind of wanted to create a label so I could release under a bunch of different genres. I also potentially have a Radio 1 show soon, hopefully around January.
RVA: I feel that if you were to say that to anyone else, it would potentially fly over their heads.
DFDJ!: I probably wouldn’t say that in a British interview. It’s all UK radio stuff, just like I’m sure you guys have your radio stuff going on here.
RVA: Sadly, our radio stations pale in comparison to that of the BBC, which leads me to my next topic. You just released your second, count them, SECOND, Essential Mix for BBC Radio1. That is mind-boggling. We can probably count on 1 hand how many DJ’s have been asked to put together 2 Essential Mixes. Tell us about that.
DFDJ!: I should probably ask them how many they have asked actually, probably not many. I don’t know how many DJ’s have done that. It’s a testament to like being relevant over such a large period of time. It’s a great honor to be asked 3 years apart to prepare a second mix. I still feel like im a new person on the scene, compared to some of the bigger guys. It was really nice to do it. I tried to get a lot deeper and do more creative things as a producer on the latest mix.
RVA: You’re known for your remixing abilities. What do you have on your future agenda?
DFDJ!: Well I did 48 remixes last year, they’re all listed on my MySpace. I’m working on an album actually, kind of like how Deadmau5 released an album before he was signed called Random Album Title, which was just a compilation of random tracks mixed together. We’re thinking about doing something like that, with my own tracks all mixed together. I’ve got EPs lined up for the next 6 months, all original stuff. I’ve been concentrating more on the originals lately, so I haven’t had much time for the remixes. I do have really good management, though, so they help me figure out all my releases.
RVA: Do you hear a song and say, “Hey, I would love to remix this!”
DFDJ!: Actually yeah, I heard the Crystal Castles tune featuring Robert Smith and asked if I could remix that. It just got accepted, so that will be my next remix. Also, once a month for the next twelve months, I plan on releasing a free remix of a classic track through my new label to help promote it, of sorts. I just released a Mr. Scruff remix through Ninja Tune. It’s fun taking a classic track and making it into a contemporary thing.
RVA: You kind of branch out, it seems, with your remix choices. I saw you remixed Sia, The Temper Trap, Marina & The Diamonds. Do you frequently listen to these different styles of music?
DFDJ!: I’m a massive fan of all styles of music. To be offered to do a remix in my own style of these artists, it’s amazing. I’ve been able to test my abilities, to be able to do remixes of so many different artists. It kind of scares my fans sometimes when I do something so far from some of my other stuff.
RVA: I feel like the US is so behind when it comes to all the music “fads.” It seems to stay in the UK, and then they move on, and the US finally gets it.
DFDJ!: It’s like dubstep. It seems that America really loves dubstep now. I don’t see some of the “harder” genres to listen to hitting America anytime soon. DJs like Joy Orbison, I don’t see exploding on the American scene, mainly because it seems people over here like the music that’s all fast paced and full of testosterone.
RVA: You mentioned earlier that you have a residence in Ibiza. You have a residence in the UK too am I right?
DFDJ!: Yea at Wax:On. Well, I run a lot of club nights over there. I used to play a lot more but now I help run some stuff. I do some key nights there and Fabric.
RVA: I tried to find more information online but was having a hard time. Tell us about “Afterparty”
DFDJ!: It’s basically a club night where you go after all the other clubs are closed. It goes from 2AM – 10AM. We’ve had Fatboy Slim, 2manyDJ’s, Pendulum, Rusko, Annie Mac, everyone.
RVA: That sounds too good to be true. Wish we had something like that over here. Now for a quick little Q&A! What were your first record purchases?
DFDJ!: Phats & Small – Tonite was my first record. David Morales – Needin U was probably my first cassette tape.
RVA: Your first musical experience?
DFDJ!: I was at a club to see Erick Morillo in Manchester and he was using 2 CDJ’s. I think he was the first to use them actually. He was looping and chopping stuff up and I was like, "Wow." He really inspired me. I was more of a hip-hop turntablist before then, but watching Erick kind of made me want to play more diverse music.
RVA: What are some items you don’t leave on tour without?
DFDJ!: Laptop, I guess, if you can count that. Uhm, my neck cushion, that’s a good one. It like, locks me in, and I wake up feeling so refreshed. Good purchase. I actually forgot it this time--ironic.
RVA: Can you play any other instruments?
DFDJ!: I can play the recorder. "Three Blind Mice" and "Happy Birthday," actually.
RVA: If you could play with any musician/producer dead or alive, who would it be?
At this point, Doorly noticed what appeared to be the DJ before him playing his track.
DFDJ!: That guy is playing my track! I don’t remember which one it is though, hah. What was the question again? Oh! Well, probably the Beatles. It would be nice to produce the Beatles with the technology we have today. I would also like to be in a band with the singer of Joy Division.
RVA: We've got an all-star lineup going on here, keep going.
DFDJ!: I’d like to have David Dewaele from Soulwax on synths. Probably Ringo Starr on drums. Jimi Hendrix on guitar. And we’ll see what happens. Worst case scenario, we’ll get in every magazine just because of the lineup.
RVA: Final question: of all the recent touring and playing you’ve done, what was the most memorable experience you’ve had? Where you just said to yourself, “Wow, this is the life."
DFDJ!: It was probably when The Prodigy asked me to open for them at a festival that they had created. There was thousands and thousands of people there. I was truly honored to be asked to play that gig. That was probably one of the highlights of my career.
And thus, the interview with the world-renowned DJ known as Doorly was over. It was time to watch Skrillex, and for Doorly to plot his game plan. After an over-the-top performance by Skrillex, Doorly had his work cut out for him. However, none of us were prepared for the insanity that was released when Doorly stood behind the turntables.
Words by Alex Rose
Photos by Erik Fox/Dope On Plastic